{image1}With the future of the franchise seated to his left in a sparkling white Bucks shirt, Larry Harris opened the press conference with "welcome to another exciting day in Buckland."
After a rough week before the court of public opinion, the Bucks General Manager seems to think things are finally settling down, and while Harris has yet (as of press time) to find a new coach, the pieces are starting to fall into place.
Andrew Bogut, selected with the first pick of the Draft Tuesday night, will finally give the Bucks the legitimate big man they have lacked since Jack Sikma took his services elsewhere.
Couple that with the news that point guard T.J. Ford has been cleared for all basketball-related activities, and it's easy to see why Harris is starting to smile more these days.
The way it stands now, the Bucks' roster looks leap years better -- at least on paper -- than it did a year ago. Convincing Michael Redd to resign with the team is still a top priority, and will dictate greatly the Bucks' fate, but conceivably, the starting five could look like this:
PG: Ford -- As long as there are no lingering physical or mental repercussions, the 22-year old should pick up where he left off.
SG: Redd -- Any hope the Bucks have for making the playoffs this season hinges on his return.
SF: Desmond Mason -- Talented, athletic and effective. Needs to develop his shot, and try to include more of the trey in his bag of tricks.
PF: Joe Smith -- Solid, effective, consistent and savvy veteran.
C: Bogut -- 13 rebounds and eight points a night would be a successful rookie season
Off the bench, free agents Zaza Pachulia and Dan Gadzuric, along with Toni Kukoc give the Bucks some size. Mo Williams looked like a second-year pro last season, being forced into the starting role when Mike James was dealt to Houston in an effort to free up salary cap space to use on Michael Redd.
Jiri Welsch, acquired on draft day from the Cleveland Cavaliers could play the one, two, or three effectively and provide a few minutes of relief a night, and the jury remains out on Reese Gaines and Daniel Santiago.
Signing Redd is the key. The Bucks, thanks to the "Larry Bird Rule" of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement can offer the fourth year guard a maximum contract with more years and more money than any other team.
Under the previous agreement, Redd could sign with the Bucks for a maximum six years, guaranteed. Other teams could only offer him five guaranteed years. The Bucks also have a lot more room to finagle under the salary cap, which will hover around $50 million under the new agreement.
Redd's return is necessary for the Bucks to mount an all-out attack on Eastern Conference foes. The Central Division will be tough with the return of Ron Artest to the Indiana Pacers, and the continued growth of the Chicago Bulls.
Still, though, none of this will matter and Harris will need to start worrying about his job security if the right coach isn't in place.
Flip Saunders (at press time) was still the favorite, but is still the top candidate if Larry Brown leaves the defending conference champion Pistons. Running a very close second is former Atlanta coach Terry Stotts, who was an assistant on George Karl's staff during his time in Milwaukee.
It's the last piece to a puzzle, and Harris -- both by his firing of Porter and his public comments -- needs to get it right if he wants this team to make the post season.
If that happens, it could be the beginning of some very good times at the corner of 4th and State.
